


A Festival of Fruit - Nagamas 2019!

by MonochromePhoenix



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Festivals, Gen, Nagamas, Secret Santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2020-01-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:08:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22120810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MonochromePhoenix/pseuds/MonochromePhoenix
Summary: When he was young, Robin and his mother had the chance to witness a small town festival.~ ~ ~A Nagamas 2019 gift for an anon!!
Kudos: 2





	A Festival of Fruit - Nagamas 2019!

**Author's Note:**

> Happy (late) holidays to you, my dear giftee! I actually had a ton of fun with this concept, I hope it makes you smile!

The young, pale boy was doing what he did best - curling up on the floor with a pile of books. They were the few things he made sure never got left behind when they had to move again. The place they were staying at now had a certain charm and a lot of libraries the child wanted to visit, but his promise to wait until his mother got back prevented him from going anywhere. Robin was anything if not well-behaved and quiet, so he listened. The books had a lot to say for him, anyway. He was, to put it simply, content.

"Robin dear!" His mother called from the doorway, prompting her son to get up and greet her.  
"Hello mother." Robin nodded, yawning as he wandered up to her. "How are you?"  
"I'm wonderful, sweetie. Was everything fine here?" She asked, a faint worry tugging on her voice.  
"It was all good, promise." Smiling, he took one of her bags and slowly hoisted it up onto the counter.  
"Good, good…" Relieved, she gave Robin one of her brilliant smiles, one that cheered up everyone who saw it. "Robin?"  
"Yes mother?" He sat on a chair, watching as she put the food away.  
"There's a festival in town today. Do you want to go?"  
"A festival..?" He thought about it. On one hand, festivals in his books were always described as bright, fun and cheery. On the other hand, the festivals he'd been to weren't exactly light-hearted. His concern must've shown on his face, as his mother laughed and shook her head.  
"It's one of the good ones. I believe it's to celebrate a local story or something?"  
"Oh… I'd like to see it, then." Robin smiled. It sounded fun, and a chance to mess around outside.

A few hours later, although it felt like a long while to Robin, the two of them were standing by the door, ready to leave.  
"Coat? Gloves?" His mother asked, checking him over.  
"Of course." Robin droned, blankly. It was too hot to wear these things, but his mother had a point. Although, he'd be just fine with only the gloves, he felt the large jacket was too much. He'd never tell his mother that though, she only had their safety in mind. "Come on, let's go."

Opening the door brought a whole array of attacks on the senses. The smell of cooking, salt, and dust filled the air, which was already carrying loose grains of sand around to settle on the unsuspecting passersby. A din of yelling, chatter, footsteps and the occasional children's game carried through each narrow street. The most obvious change as Robin stepped out the door was the heat. It went from being bearable to oppressively pressing down on the crowds. The sheer Pelgian garments were definitely a necessity, providing at least some relief from the temperature. Robin's mother started to walk down the road, leaving Robin to wander along behind her. Even when he fell behind, which he frequently did, her stark white hair stood out against the darker tones and led him right back to her.

The crowd pulled them along to the village center, where a pile of fruits lay upon a raised platform. Robin looked at it with curiosity, it didn't match any festival he'd heard about. An older woman had started to drone on about something, but Robin's attention was snatched away. He heard a door, glanced at it, then started to stare. It was the library. With a tug on his mother's sleeve and a whispered promise to be careful, he wandered to the building. Even a cursory glance through the door put him in awe. Shelves full of hundreds of different books, all meticulously dusted to be free of sand. He went inside. Straight to the section on magic, an interest of his. In the isle, there was an almost tangible trace of residue magic that made the boy smile. He felt strangely at home there.

"What've you got?" A boy peered over Robin's shoulder, causing him to jolt and drop the emerald tome. "Whoops!"  
"Sorry…" Robin muttered, picking it up and turning to face the other kid. They had the same hair and height, but that's where the similarities ended. This other boy had a cheshire grin which would have put sparkles in his eyes if they were open, and carried himself in an easy and open manner. Nothing like Robin's slight frown and reserved clutching at a book. "This is one of the tomes from these shelves."  
"Ooh!" He nodded, looking at the book in Robin's arms. "Reading during the festival? Same."  
"I guess I was a little bored out there, huh."  
"I know, right? This is always the most boring part. We always have to wait for the fun bits later on."  
"Like what?"  
"You sound as if you've never seen this festival before!"  
"That's because, well, I haven't."

Even after finding a seat, the other boy sounded confused on how Robin didn't know anything about it.  
"I'm sorry." Robin sighed, tugging aimlessly at the sleeves on his coat.  
"It's no big deal… Oh! I'll explain it!" He began, not waiting for a response. "A long time ago, a pair of friends who came from Ylisse and Plegia met on a sand dune every year. They exchanged gifts and food, but one year, apparently, the Ylissian never showed up. She had been killed by a rogue pack of bandits. As the story goes, the Plegian became a vigilante, and killed a ton of bandits! Fun, huh?"  
"That is an… Interesting tale." Robin thought about it while the boy continued to grin.  
"So that's why we celebrate by sharing food! Apparently some Ylissians celebrate it, too."  
"Wow… it's more interesting than I thought." Mumbled Robin, causing the other to laugh.  
"Mhm! It was nice meeting you, mystery boy." With a wave, he was gone, leaving Robin a little confused but cheerful.

After a long time mulling over the books, Robin borrowed one and went back to his mother, who looked deep in thought. "I'm back." No response. "Mother?" Still, her eyes were squeezed shut. Robin poked her with his book, startling her into muttering a curse then looking down.  
"Oh, sorry. Did you have fun?"  
"Yes." Robin nodded. "Is it time to share the food?"  
"Did you read about that? Anyway, yes, it's about time. Look." His mother pointed over at the raised platform, where a chorus was starting to sing and fruits were getting passed around.  
"Oh!" Robin smiled, hugging his book close with anticipation. When it came around to them, his mother took a few berries for herself, then handed him some. They were fresh and delicious, and soon the crowd was quietly eating, the music rising above them all. Soon, the mass of people fractured into groups of laughing dancers, running children, and people looking for another round of fruit. It was beautiful, Robin thought, and the memory of the day was one of his happiest for years.


End file.
